Twinwood tribute to rock and roll set to be sold out

Twinwood Festival 2018 presents a four day retro rock and roll spectacular

Rock and Roll isn’t just music. It was a cultural revolution that sparked the imagination of the baby boomers forever altered not just the music scene, but the social and cultural milieu of the post war world. Rock and Roll is a culture in itself and one that still holds appeal for young and old alike.

Twinwood Festival celebrates this heritage with a four day spectacular of the music and style that defined the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, from jazz to swing to rhythm and blues and some of the greatest musicians of all time. Big bands, swing orchestras and dance halls are where it’s at with a superb opportunity to step out or sit back visiting or camping for a long weekend of vintage magic.

“We trace our history back to Glenn Miller’s performance in 1944 just before his mysterious disappearance, but since 2002, we’ve updated the format to include more genres that led to or were part of the phenomenon we call rock and roll,” says Annie Wooding, Creative Director for Twinwood Events. “This year’s event is better and better than ever with a growing line up.”

Brand new on the line up for 2018 are The Fabulous Hurricanes. “Described as ‘a tremendous band’ by Sir Paul McCartney, The Fabulous Hurricanes are a vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and Funk band with a killer horn section,” says Wooding. They’ll be kicking off with a bang in the Main Arena on Friday night.

Also on Friday night, the Paul Da Vinci Explosion Show is not to be missed. “Singer-songwriter Paul Da Vinci is best known as the incredible voice on the Rubettes number one selling single ‘Sugar Baby Love’, which sold over eight million copies worldwide,” says Wooding. Paul started his career in the late 1960s as a backing vocalist for many top artists before going solo.

Paul Da Vinci had major chart successes in the 70s and 80s as a solo artist with his own compositions but 2016 saw the launch of The Paul Da Vinci Explosion, a brand new band of seasoned top session musicians with an exciting and authentic visitation of absolute classics from the 60s and 70s in an electric show format.

Strollin’ Steve kicks things off in the Dance Marquee. “The famous DJ, compere and events organiser needs no introduction here at Twinwood!” says Wooding. “He’s hosted the Control Tower Stage, also known as the Rock and Roll end of the festival, for years now, working with many of the top bands in the genre.”

Starting out at The Thunderbird Club in Wellingborough in 1991, Strollin’ Steve Ashdown has presented recorded music at countless functions in the UK and on the continent. As a specialist in American music dating back to the 1920s, Steve’s enthusiasm is ever present. Steve was presented with his first award for service to the music fraternity in 2015 and vows to continue his great work sharing great music with fans the world over.

The king cannot be forgotten in any rock and roll festival! “Spanning Elvis’ career through the 50s, 60s and 70s, Steve Halliday presents his flawless and comprehensive tribute to the legendary sensation from Tupelo, creating a spectacular end to Saturday night on Twinwood’s Main Arena,” says Wooding. “Steve Halliday is one of Europe’s top Elvis acts, singing live and on BBC and ITV.”

Sara Spade & The Noisy Boys will be pumping their ebullient sound on Saturday and Sunday and the audience is sure to be bopping and hopping. Retro-Pop and Vintage Swing form the core of Sara’s sound with acoustic versions of soul classics dancing happily beside flapper and prohibition tunes, calypsos and ballads. But where Sara Spade really shines is with her own songs.

Sunday night sees The Bootleg Beatles live in the Main Arena. “They’re heralded as the best tribute Beatles band out there, with even George Harrison saying ‘You probably know the chords better than I do’,” says Wooding. “Now in their 36th year, The Bootleg Beatles lauded show delivers a visually stunning and note-perfect rendition of The Fab Four’s repertoire.”

There’s really no end to the retro rock and roll on offer at Twinwood Festival this year. “With both day visitors and long weekend campers welcome, be sure to book early as tickets really do fly,” says Wooding. “There is plenty of camping, glamping or local BnB accommodation, so make a vacation of it and sit back or step out with the best vintage rock and roll festival going today.”

Twinwood Festival is held at the former RAF Twinwood Farm Airfield in Clapham, Bedfordshire, England. Its roots go back to 27 August 1944 when Glenn Miller and his AAF band performed an outdoor concert at RAF Twinwood for RAF personnel. On 15 December 1944, Glenn Miller boarded a Norseman aircraft from RAF Twinwood and he was never seen or heard of again. RAF Twinwood was decommissioned after WWII and the site lay almost untouched until 1989 when the company Twinwood Events was formed and the Twinwood Control Tower was converted into the Glenn Miller Museum. When restoration was completed in 2002, a celebration Glenn Miller concert was held. Its success led to the birth of the annual Glenn Miller Festival, held over the August bank holiday weekend. In 2007 the event was renamed The Twinwood Festival to incorporate a slightly wider genre of music. It is now one of the largest vintage music festivals in Europe. The Twinwood Festival has four stages and thirteen venues, as well as campsites, pop up shops and plenty of food and drink on offer. Live bands perform continuously throughout the four day weekend. The event continues to grow year on year attracting tens of thousands of vintage music, style and fashion fans from all over the world. For more information, please visit: www.twinwoodevents.com.